Comments on: don’t employees deserve apologies too?

By: fran

fran — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:14:18 +0000

rob, that’s a great distinction. since leaders set the culture and employees follow in order to keep their jobs, get ahead, get recognized and rewarded, i still believe that ultimate accountability falls squarely on the shoulders of leaders. and that means that leaders are also fully accountable for apologizing when the culture they create is harmful to all.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:11:41 +0000

Valid question. The answer might depend on whether there is an US versus THEM mentality within the company. ie/ was it a truly shared mistake (an overall company culture led to the errors) or was it isolated to certain parts of the organisation (eg top management)?

The latter to my mind would requires a deeper and different sort of apology.

By: fran

fran — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:10:08 +0000

adrian, we’d like to think so, wouldn’t we?

By: Adrian Swinscoe

Adrian Swinscoe — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:55:25 +0000

Don’t you think there is something amiss when sometimes we have to ask for an apology? Surely, that’s the first thing and the least we can expect from our officials, suppliers, employers, leaders, employees etc when a mistake is made.

By: fran

fran — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:51:04 +0000

when we see stories like toyota, enron, etc alongside all of the articles on how to engage employees…

things that make you go hmmm.

By: Paul Smith

Paul Smith — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:46:53 +0000

I don’t get it either. Why is it when people walk into their workplace, they become “employees”, and no longer “people”? Is vernacular the simple reason for dehumanizing employees?
If people are not thought of as people, it’s easier to not treat them like people. Thus, a sorry becomes unnecessary in the company’s eyes.
But “employees” are “people” and they do deserve apologies.

By: Frank Roche

Frank Roche — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:50:56 +0000

Employees do deserve apologies. Management failed them at Toyota…and horribly at Lehman Bros, Enron, etc. Peoples’ livlihoods are gone…and I’ll bet not a one of them heard so much as a peep.

Great thought…